3/12/2010 @ 5:00PM

Is Susan Woo Right About Eco-Fashion?

Yes, Susan Woo grew up with fashion. When she was 4 years old, her uncle brought her a
Christian Dior
pink velour dress from Paris to wear for her nursery school portrait. But the story doesn’t stop there. Woo threw a tantrum when her mother forced her to wear the frock, resulting in a photo that captured her teary-eyed and runny-nosed, absolutely shattered at being told to wear something “so hideous,” she says.

Today, at 27, Woo has more than proven that she could never be coerced into doing–or wearing–anything. Her strong beliefs about fashion have translated into a clothing line that only uses eco-friendly fabrics.

Does the greening of fashion cause you to shudder as thoughts of hemp and recycled underwear cross your mind? Not to worry. Susan Woo–that is, her eponymous label–is proof that the right design can transform the usual sustainable fabrics like alpaca wool, vegetable-tanned leather, organic cotton jersey and sustainable silk crepe into clothes that make a woman look glamorous, sexy and in control.

Also striking is her commitment to fair labor. All her clothes are designed in a workshop in New York City, under her watchful eye. Born to Korean-immigrant parents, this Manhattan native says she always keeps the difficulties that immigrants face in perspective–doing so diminishes the challenges she faces in keeping her business alive. After all, tripling her first-year revenues in the face of a recession is no mean feat.

“Her clothes are beautiful and feminine, very relevant to women who want classic pieces in their wardrobe,” says Sharon Watrous, co-owner of Chalk boutique in Evanston, Ill., which showcases Susan Woo along with high-end names like Alberta Ferretti and Narciso Rodriguez.

ForbesWoman caught up with Woo at her New York showroom, where she’s wearing a self-designed, vegetable-tanned leather jacket. She talks about her competition (“So great for the eco-movement”), her motto (“You better be madly passionate about anything you spend your precious time on”) and how an uncompromising commitment to sustainability gave her a winning business idea.

Susan Woo: That’s exactly the myth I’m hoping to dispel with my collection! I know that customers care more about the fit of an outfit and how the fabrics make them look and feel rather than the fact that it’s organic. So I try to create wearable, classic pieces that women love to have in their wardrobe. Women will buy fashionable clothes with great silhouettes. The fact that it’s made of sustainable materials is like icing on the cake.

Why did you title your Fall/Winter 2010 collection “Warriors”?

I’m so inspired by the modern woman who has commitments to be a mother, a daughter, a friend, a girlfriend. We balance and juggle so many things that today’s women are warriors. My collection celebrates that and I want my designs to lend themselves to these busy lifestyles.

The looks change by season, but my muse–my customers who are intelligent warriors–remains the same. If a woman is spending her precious, hard-earned money on my designs, I have a commitment to her to make sure it fits her perfectly and makes her hectic lifestyle a little more enjoyable.

You graduated from Cornell University with a degree in fashion design and business, and went on to work at Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Derek Lam. What made you want to start your own business?

I researched sustainable fashion night and day for a year. I had so many ideas about what I wanted to do and I’m very particular about what I like and don’t, so I needed to make sure those fabrics existed first.

I always wanted my own label. I knew I was more than just a designer from the get-go. In fact, the modern designer is not just an artist–it’s not as simple as putting pencil to paper. You have to be practical and innovative. The art is easy, but making that art into fashion and being able to sell it is the real challenge.

What’s the most unusual fabric you’ve worked with?

I love alpaca wool, which is a long-haired wool that looks like fur. Incorporating sustainable fabrics into everyday designs is fun. These fabrics are comfortable, high-quality and, because they’re all-natural, they literally become a second skin. Each piece is more than what you see. There’s a lot of thought that goes into every design.

What makes Susan Woo tick?

At the moment my business makes it impossible to have a social life. It’s 2% designing and 98% running the business, so really that’s what keeps me going. Recently, I got an e-mail from a lady who had bought a dress from my collection after seeing it in Vogue. She thanked me, saying it fit her so well that she never expected it to look as good on her as it did on Sienna Miller in Vogue. But it did.

For me, that’s the greatest joy. Yes, the press and shows are great, but I’m very focused on every customer who picks up my designs. I know that in this economy they want an emotional connection with everything they spend their money on.

Any setbacks so far?

The biggest setbacks have been the most unexpected ones. When you make your business plan, you anticipate the challenges that every business goes through. But in reality, what throws you off are the smallest problems, like your seamstress quitting the week before fashion week, or hiring irresponsible people.

But every setback has been the learning curve I needed. I know that my growth has to be small and strategic. I’m not looking for out-of-control expansion. You sacrifice so much to be a small business, so you have to be so incredibly passionate about it.

What’s next?

In the future I’m looking to design for children. I want a sustainable jewelry line and, of course, a standalone store. But for now it’s rewarding knowing that I’m staying true to a responsibility I feel toward the environment and that my customers get good designs. It’s a perfect partnership.